There and Back Again
A friend of mine told me about There and Back Again Cafe in Sacramento and I knew I had to check it out for myself. This cafe is themed after Lord of the Rings and other fantasy properties. I occupies the space across from the big cathedral in downtown Sacramento and can be difficult to find if you aren’t looking for it. There and Back Again is definitely worth seeking out though - especially if you’re into fantasy like I am!
First and foremost, There and Back Again is a place to get some food or drink. If you’re into coffee, they have a huge variety of options such as regular brewed, lattes, cappuccinos, and chai. Most of the coffee items can come in a regular or large size depending on your needs for the day. Tea is also on offer and you can get it iced, hot, or in a pot! For me, I am a fan of cold drinks… and boy do they have some fun ones here! On my visit I tried the Mana Potion, which is a blue colored lemon lime cream soda. Check out their menu and you’ll see some other drinks inspired by properties such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, and the Witcher. By the way, the Mana Potion was excellent and exactly what I wanted on a hot Sacramento day.
For food, you can order a selection of hand pies that are served throughout their opening hours. Their menu has a nice list of different varieties, but on my visit they only had a limited amount to select from. I wanted to try the sausage or turkey pot pie version, but they only had breakfast, and chicken curry at the time I was ordering. I went with the chicken curry. Though it initially wasn’t what I wanted, the curry pie was flaky and delicious with just the right amount of curry flavor. It was a very enjoyable pie and a flavor that I would probably order again.
I was quite hungry so I decided on trying their avocado toast as well. Like the hand pies, there is a huge variety of them. I ended up selecting the apples and cheddar toast as it sounded really great. This one had smashed avocado, cheddar cheese, and fresh dill with a drizzle of truffle honey. It did indeed taste as good as all those ingredients sounded and I enjoyed it very much.
In fact, both items were quickly all down in my belly soon after they were served.
Each item is carefully made, but it does come at a bit of a cost as the two items and the drink was about $30. So I would say that if you’re going to try for more of a meal than a snack, be prepared to spend a bit of money here.
My suggestion is to come for the delicious coffee, tea, and specialty drinks and have a little bit of food on the side if you’re wanting to hang out for a bit. Save the bigger meal for another local restaurant as there are plenty around.
Speaking of hanging out, There and Back Again encourages you to really hang out at the cafe and play some games. The dining area in the back shares a space with a game store stocked with a huge selection of board games and Magic the Gathering. If you do play a game and are looking for more players, there are placards specially made so that you can indicate others can join in on the fun with you. It’s a great idea that encourages folks to get to know each other and tear down some of the barriers that might stop us from interacting with people we may not know.
If you’re interested in seeing when game nights are and what special events are happening, you can go to their event section of their site and see all the things coming up!
Website: thereandback.cafe
Address: 1020 11th St Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95814
Rating: A -
There and Back Again really is a place that is set apart from your typical coffee house. The fantasy themes are a ton of fun and make the visit a memorable one!
